Delving into the science of a mystifying optical illusion: visual masking. A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience has made significant strides in understanding visual masking, a phenomenon that plays a crucial role in how we perceive, or rather "unsee," things. This study not only illumina

I found this article very interesting.

We have heard reports for a long time about the following:

  • UAP can look different depending on the observer, even when they stand side by side watching the same event
  • some people do not perceive UAP when others do
  • photographs of UAP tend to show things that do not look exactly like what the observers report

We seem to keep finding aspects of human physiology that would “work with” the types of odd experiences reported by UAP observers (e.g. the DMT effects and our body producing DMT naturally, visual masking, evidence that ESP/telepathy is not only demonstrable but might be innate and can be enhanced by training, etc).

Thoughts?

  • HM05@lemmy.worldMEnglish
    2·
    11 months ago

    Just getting caught up on posts. It’s been a hectic week.

    This is an interesting article to me, since I enjoy the psychological and social aspects of the phenomenon. The mind is really susceptible to false or misleading memories, assuming events are even registered in the first place. Even without purposefully misleading by altering stimuli, you can alter your memories just by remembering them. If you question one detail, it’s forever hazy. If you misattribute a detail to the event with enough confidence, then it can be forever a “fact” to you.

    I typically like to separate modern stories of UAP from folklore, but this reminds me of a lot of little folk from a lot of cultures. There are tales of humanoid folk across a lot of cultures (elves, duende, yokai, etc.) that have a lot of similarities, including shapeshifting and selective sightings. Often, these entities would appear humanoid one moment then appear as an animal or object on second glance. A group of people could also have different experiences of the same encounter. These entities would also often only show themselves to children or select people open to the encounter. I won’t even get into the abduction aspect of a lot of these tales.

    It’s always fascinated me that there are aspects that unite not just folktales, but UAP/NHI encounters across the world and throughout time. I think it helps show that there is some phenomenon occurring and that a lot needs to go into uncovering the truths behind it.

    • grabyourmotherskeys@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      Yes, I totally agree. Every culture seems to have stories of people living near us, along side, but separate. They can interact with us but it’s not for us to summon them or seek them out.

      Regarding memory, it’s so malleable. I was convinced for decades I’d been up in the cn tower as a baby (building in Toronto in Canada) and would often have dreams about it, etc. I was telling my mother about this and it turned out I had stayed in the car with her while my brothers and father went up (I am 8 years younger than next sibling).

      Turned out I had heard the story so many times as a small child, I just put myself into it.